BMC plans third-party audit of roads under construction

Struggling to come up with a solution to pitiable condition of city roads, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to appoint an international consultant, who will conduct a third-party audit of city roads, while they are under construction.

Struggling to come up with a solution to pitiable condition of city roads, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to appoint an international consultant, who will conduct a third-party audit of city roads, while they are under construction.

In a first, the consultant will establish laboratories on sites across the city where road work is on. These labs will then test each material that goes into the making of the road, before the work begins.

This procedure is a departure from the current process, wherein the crust of a road is taken for testing, while it is being made. By the time these reports come, most often, the road is already constructed.

“The current auditing method is redundant because at most, we can penalise contractors. The new system will be able to stop the malpractices before the road is made.”

Civic sources said that SGS consultants, an international consultancy firm, has been roped in to conduct this audit.

Confirming this, additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta said: “This firm will conduct the quality control audit at each site, where road work is on. We are hoping that this will bring more accountability in the way contractors build roads.”

Standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale said: “The role of this firm includes visiting asphalt and cement plants, from where materials are being sourced, taking samples and testing the quality.” He added that SGS will be paid a fraction of the amount of materials the firm tests and reports about.